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17/04/2018

What we are looking for in our next family home

I have spoken a few times about how we are nearing the end of our (somewhat slow) renovation of our current home and will be fingers crossed putting it on the market this year so we can move. This has got me thinking a lot about what we are looking for in our next home, nothing lavish or anything but for a variety of reasons our current house really doesn't tick our boxes and was always bought as an investment to do up and then sell. While our current home does have some pros such as a nice sized garden and a light and airy kitchen extension I do have a list of things I would love to see in our next property although of course we are realistic about the fact there is never a perfect home and you do have to compromise somewhere but not on everything.

Character over a New Build

I'm just putting this out there but I am not a huge fan of new builds, I certainly wont discount them altogether because at this point we have to consider all our options but we have always lived in period style properties or cosy welsh cottages and I do love original features in a home but with a modern refresh. I am really hoping with our next home we can get a small Bay fronted Victorian property or if not just a nice terrace that hasn't been stripe of all it's original character.

Good size bedrooms

At the moment we have a really large lounge and kitchen diner which is great but our bedrooms are very small, in fact I'm not even sure if my youngest will be able to fit a proper single bed in his room to replace his toddler bed. We would actually take a two bed house that offers double sized rooms over three tiny bedrooms so size proportion is important for our next purchase.

Garden space is a must

We had a wonderful garden at the moment that has enough space for a small vegetable patch, play area and social area with under cover seating and lovely green grass for the kids to run on. I know moving more into the city we are probably going to have to sacrifice this space but I don't want to replace it for a yard so some kind of outdoor space is important to us even if it has to be a little smaller.

Wooden flooring

I grew up in a house that had exposed wooden flooring through out and I just love it. In our lounge we had parquet flooring, which I loved and in my childhood kitchen we had beautiful original floor boards so finding a home that either has that or we can lay it down would be a massive bonus especially as it's something I don't really want to compromise on. Like I said we are happy to get some solid wood flooring laid down but in our current home thats just not possible. Not only is wood flooring easy to clean but it's also warming under your feet and very stylish. There is also a lot of research to say that the more natural products we have in our home creates a more happier and more calm environment to live in.

Roll Top Bath

For me this is another must have but doesn't need to be there when we buy but as long as it's possible to get one put in. The thing is we are hoping to spend a couple of years in our next home and I want to very much make it feel like a home and to me that means having a nice bathroom and a roll top bath. We have re-done our bathroom in our current home but in a very practical way to resell so I am hoping to make our next one much more personal to our tastes.

Location

Well they do say that when it comes to finding a new home the location is the most important. We are currently a fair drive away from my sons school, in bad traffic it can take an hour and in no traffic less than 20minutes but it's just a commute I don't want to do any more and as he is very happy and settled there moving him to another school is not an option. We need a house that offers easy public transport to the city for my partner as well as a quicker commute (and preferably even be able to walk).

Are you planning moving soon and if so what are you looking for in your next home?

ahhh, one day I'll have my own place! I'm completely with you with character over new build. It's almost like your house has a personality of its own when you go for something older. A roll top bath would just be amazing.

We would choose character over new build too - love the original features. Our current home has tall ceilings and bay windows ...feels so spacious and bright. It's my dream to have a roll top bath! I grew up with parquet flooring too. Wooden flooring is definitely easier to clean :)

Lovely style and I agree on the builds that have character and some old spirit to it, because most of the new builds are really not so cozy and somewhat cold. Would love to live in a house with a wooden floor, and oh my God, that bath. :)

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